Home Affairs Paarl

I am disgusted in the service of the Department of Home Affairs Paarl. We arrived there a bit after 7. They wasn't too many people in the queue. Quite a bit of kids in school uniform, including my kids (because it was said that when applying for an unabridged birth certificate the child need to be with). A while later after 8, a lady apparently the Supervisor comes out and says their system is offline & they will assist us as soon as they online. With 100s of seating place inside the air conditioned office, they refuse to let the people enter, it was getting hot & quite uncomfortable standing all those hours. Some people got the 6am. It was again advised that the systems are still down & might only go on much later or possibly not at all, so many people left because they couldn't wait anymore. They were giving people the number to call to check if they go online (see attached) apparently they were only going to close 6h30. I asked them why issue people with the office number if they do not answer their phones. One of the staff pointed me to the reception office (with so much attitude). I stood there by the window calling the numbers issued, there was a few ladies chatting just outside this room by a copier, I asked why they not answering, she answered in an uprupt tone that she can do 2 things at a time. I then went back outside. Standing in the heat for over 6 hours. They just refused to let us in all that time. Us and lots of others came from far, we just didn't want to leave just in case the system went on, no one could afford to stay out of work and keep the kids out of school. One of the ladies came out I then asked her to please just give a letter to say we were there as proof. She refused. At about after 1 I heard that they have been been able to assist with an unabridged certificate. Not once did anyone tell us that they were able to assist. So many people were there for unabridged certificates but the left not knowing that they could do the application. While we were waiting to do payment at the window there was a lady sitting by the phone, I called the number we could see the call light flashing but no ring tone, she ignored the call. I'm so furious.